Improvement in water-meters



W'ILLIAM LIVINGSTONE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent lV0. 73,5-37, dated January 21, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-METERS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE, of the city of New York, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Apparatusfor Measuring Water or other Fluids; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the constructionand operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawingsmaking a part of this specification, and the letters of reference markedthereon. I

Figure 1 is an elevation, showing the apparatus completely fitted upforerection, and the safety of all the working-parts of it from beingtampered with.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through A B in fig. 5, representingthe interior ofthe apparatus when the piston is at the bottom of thestroke, and the respective position of the valves for the coming-upstroke of the piston.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectionthrough C D, in fig. 5.

Figure 4 is a part elevation without cover, showing the connection ofthe apparatus with the index.

Figure 5 is a plan without cover, showing, likewise, the connection ofthe apparatus with the index.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through A B, in fig. 5, showing theinterior of the apparatus when the piston is at the top, and therelative position of the valves for the coming-down stroke of thepiston.

Figure 7 is a plan showing valves,valve-chamber, and ports.

Figure 8 is asectional plan of the cylinder and easing, showing thepiston at the bottom of it, likewise the water-ways between the cylinder.and casing, and their communication with the interior of the cylinder.

A is a cylinder, in a'rectaugular or other-shaped casing, B, the spacesbetween the outside periphery of the cylinder and the inside of thecasing forming the water-ways, a and b, which run longitudinally fromthe top to the bottom, across the bottom of and emptying into thecylinder, figs. 2, 6, and 8. The top of the cylinder A and the casing 13is closed by the cover 0, figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, the flanges ofwhich are fastened by screws to the flanges of the casing 13, andthepacking between the flanges, and between the ring-shaped face of thecylinder A and the cover C, will produce a water-tight connectionbetween the cylinder and the waterways, and the water-ways and theexterior of the apparatus all around it, fig. 8. In the inside of thecylinder A is the piston D, consisting of two parts, fastened togetherby the screw OZ, and forming around the periphery a recess, forthepacking to make a water-tight connection between the piston and thecylinder, figs. 2, 3, and 4. The top of the piston is jointed, by meansof the projections e and e and the links ff and gg, to the cross-pieceh, which forms the lower cnd of the short rod F which passes through thestufiiugbox z in the centre of the cover 0, thereby producing a movableconnection, between the piston inside of the cylinder, and certain partshereafter to be described, outside of it, figs. .2, 3, and G. The coverC has, diametrically opposite, two .longitudinal projections, with twooblong holes in each of them. The outside holes a and b communicate withthe water-ways a and b, and consequently with the interior of thecylinder below the piston. The two inside holes, a and b", communicatedirectly with the interior of the cylinder above the piston. The holesof one projection, viz, the holes a and a are each of them equal in areato the supply-pipe, between which and the cylinder they will form acommunication, either above or below thepiston. The holes 6 and 6 in theother projection, are of greater area, and will form a communicationbetween the cylinder and dischargepipe, from either above or below thepiston opposite from the supply, figs. 2 and 6. On the faces of theseprojections move the slide-valves G and G,'connected together by therod' E, figs. 2, 5, 6, and 7, which has, at equal distance from bothends of the valves, a. slotted hole, in which the inclined piece S,forming the upper end of the short rod F, will slide up and down with Ftogether, and thereby produce a horizontal movement of the rod E and theValves G and G, figs. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7. The valve-boxes H and H arefastened to these projections by flanges, and properly packed and closedat the top by the covers L and L, with the required packing between. Thevalve-box H is connected with the supply-pipe M, and the valve-bow Hwith the delivery-pipe N, figs. 2, 5, 6, and 7. Both valve-boxes areprovided with stuffing-boxes, m and n, in which the valve-rod E willmove water tight, figs. 2,46, and 7. To the valve-rod E is fastened thepiece Z, carrying the dog K, by means of which the ratchet-wheel 0, fig.4, will be made to revolve one tooth for every forward motion of thevalves, and by transmission of motion to a series of pinions and wheels,in proportion of one-tenth the number of valve-strokes,

and consequently pistonstrokes, representing either a unit or part of aunit, will be indicated on a dial in units,

tens, hundreds, &c., of either gallons or cubic feet. The wholeapparatus is enclosed by the cover P, figs. 1,

2, and 3, to be fastened in a suitable manner to the cover 0.

The manner in whichthe apparatus is to work is as follows: Looking at 2of the accompanying draw-- ing, and supposing the delivery-pipe N open,the water from the supply-pipe M will 'pass through the port a and thewater-way a, into the cylinder A, and, pressing against the bottom ofthe piston, raise the same and force the water above the piston, throughthe port 1 into the delivery-pipe N, to be discharged. In its ascent thepiston will cause the linksf and g, and f andg, to fold up, until allfour will take a horizontal position side by side with the cross-pieceh, and resting against it, when the piston, in its further upward way,will press against and lift links, cross-piece, and short rod F at thesame time, whereby the inclined piece S will be made to work thevalve-rod E, and reverse and have reversed the valves G and G by thetime the piston will have finished the up-stroke, as shown in fig. 6.The water from the supply-pipe will now pass through the port a directinto the cylinder, and make the piston descend, at the same time forcingthe water below the piston through the water-way b and port 6 into thedelivery-pipe for'dischargc. The connection of the links with thecross-piece h, and with each other, being slack, and the short rod Fmoving in stalling-box z, and water-tight packed, thereby ofiering acertain amount of resistance, it follows that in its descent the-pistonwill unfold the links, without affecting the position of the rod F,until nearly atthe bottom of the stroke, when the links will becomefixed by closing against each other or against the projecting pieces eand e, and the short rod F be moved downwards by its tightenedconnection with the piston, whereby the valves will again be reversed,and when the piston arrives at the end of the down-stroke the relativeposition of the different parts will be as shown in fig. 2. Theconnection of the apparatus with the index, by means of a deg, K,working in a ratchetwheel, and a series of wheels and pinioris, can bemade in a suitable manner.

I Claims.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The construction of a water or fluid-meter, consisting of ameasuring-vessel or cylinder, enclosed in an outer casing or jacket, theintervening space or spaces forming the water-ways to and from themeasuringcylinder. I

2. The combination of a piston with jointed plates or bars, or otherproper flexible material, thatwill extend and close up with the motionsof the piston, and give positive actionto the valves at either end ofthe stroke. i

3. The combination of a piston and intermediate flexible attachmentswith the valves, either slide-valves or other valves, bymeans of the rodF and its inclined plane S, working the valve-rod E, or, by means of abellcrank or other lever, taking motion from the piston at certainpoints of the stroke, and transferring the same to the valves,substantially as described.

WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE.

Witnesses:

J. B. HYDE, F. HARVEY.

